Moss House, may give a full idea of the altered state of his mind. Here, free from riot's hated noise, Be mine, ye calmer, purer joys, Far from the storms that shake the great, And sweeten my repose. This board being stolen, Cowper substituted another, with the following lines from the sixth book of the Task: No noise is here, or none that hinders thought. Stillness, accompanied with sounds so soft, And Learning wiser grow without his books. Pursuing our walk, we proceed through what remains of this sequestered alley, whose devious, mossgrown path is bordered by flowering shrubs, which fill the air with their fragrance; while, from the pendant boughs above, the ear is saluted with the melody of warbling birds, producing an affect at once solemn and delightful. 48 Returning by the way we entered, near the gate is seen OLNEY CHURCH. Continuing our walk towards the town of Olney, having the Shrubbery on the left, we arrive at Overs Brook, which crosses the road like a rivulet, but may be passed over by a wooden bridge. The prospect from the road is extensive, commanding a view of the meadows, intersected by the windings of the Ouse, the village of Emberton, and a range of richly-cultivated distant lands, divided by " hedge-row beauties numberless." By the best traditionary accounts, Weston was formerly a hamlet belonging to Olney; but Overs Brook being, in times of flood, so swelled as to make it dangerous, and almost impracticable to pass, either to perform worship or to bury the dead, the priests made application, and obtained leave of the Pope, to build a church at Weston; since which they have been separate parishes. At what time Olney Church was built is uncertain, none of the church records being dated earlier than 150 or 160 years back; though, on repairing |